The Peruvian capital is the gateway to other places in Peru and adding a few days to explore Lima before or after a trip to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley or to Northern Peru makes sense. Even with only one day it’s easy to see many of Lima’s attractions including the Cathedral of Lima, the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco and the Government Palace of Peru. These historical buildings are in proximity of Plaza Major, Lima’s main square.
Other places of interest include the Larco Museum and Huaca Pucllana Site Museum. No visit to Lima would be complete without a walk along the Miraflores waterfront. On top of that, Lima offers many shopping opportunities as well as world-renowned restaurants.
Exploring Lima’s Historic Center
Lima was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizzaro and Plaza Major is at the heart of Lima’s Historical Center. The best way to discover this area is simply to walk around. Mornings are best as it gets much more crowded in the afternoons.
Many important buildings including the Town Hall, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Government Palace and the Cathedral are located around Plaza Major (also called Plaza de Armas). The bronze fountain in the center of the square was added in 1651. Further, the changing of the guards in front of the Government Palace takes place every day at noon.
The square’s main church is the Cathedral of Lima. Its most striking feature is its ornate Baroque Façade.
The chapel dedicated to Francisco Pizarro, founder of Lima, is decorated with beautiful mosaics. Other highlights include the carved wood choir boxes and the gold leaf altars. The cathedral’s museum contains mostly religious art and relics.
Nearby there’s the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco. Inside, the library filled with century-old books and the eerie catacombs decorated with the bones of past burials are interesting to see. Another highlight is the painting of the “Last Supper” depicting the apostles dining on cui (guinea pig, which is a Peruvian delicacy!).
Rafael Larco Herrera Museum
The Larco Museum is located just outside of the city center and well worth visiting. The private collection of Peruvian pre-Columbian art is most impressive. The gold and silver collections are exquisite. Textiles and potteries abound. The gallery of erotic art clearly depicts the sex lives of ancient Peruvians. Also, the gardens are aesthetically laid out and perfectly manicured.
Roaming around Miraflores
Miraflores is an upscale residential district in Lima and a good place to stay. There are a lot of restaurants and shopping venues to choose from. Also, beautiful parks dot the area, especially along the coast. Strolling along the cliffside path will reward you with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. However, getting down to the beach on foot isn’t an easy task. We opted for a bird’s-eye view instead of going down a long staircase.
The Park of Love (Parque del Amor) is one of the loveliest parks that we saw during our visit. Its winding ceramic walls and bench reminded us of Gaudi’s serpentine bench found in Park Güell in Barcelona. The huge love-themed sculpture in the center is unmissable!
Nearby in Antonio Raimondi Park there is the Faro La Marina lighthouse. Built in 1972, the lighthouse has a light that can reach as far as 18 nautical miles. 
Also, this is where paragliders launch themselves from a cliff for a hair-raising ride over the coastline. We were happy to watch them launch from the cliff. We even saw some fly within what seemed like touching distance from our hotel room on the 12thfloor!
A walk inland led us to Miraflores Central Park and Kennedy Park where people come to relax and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the company of the rescued cats in need of love and attention. Local artists display their paintings in the Paseo de los Pintores and you can most certainly buy if you like.
Another point of interest in Miraflores is the Huaca Pucllana open-air museum.
Huaca Pucllana Site Museum
The Temple of the Worshippers of the Sea is an interesting museum to visit. The site opened to the public in 1984 and has been part of a research and conservation project since 1981. Remains of sacrificial animals as well as humans were found on site leading scholars to believe that Huaca Pucllana served as a ceremonial center.
Built between 600-700 AD by the Lima people, the site’s main and most impressive attraction is the pre-Incan adobe pyramid. The pyramid was built using small mud bricks (adobes). The adobes were place vertically in order to ensure more resistance against earthquakes.
Conclusion
Overall, we enjoyed our time in Lima and if you are visiting Peru, we recommend adding a pre- or post-stay in Lima. We would certainly revisit the Peruvian capital if we transited through Lima for another trip. We’re interested in visiting Pachacamac which is an archeological site located 25 mi (40 km) south of Lima. It was dedicated to Pacha Kamaq, Creator of the World.
We hope one day to return and explore more of Peru… We have yet to see the Nazca Lines and we hear that it’s possible to take a tour from Lima to see this mysterious site. Or perhaps next time we would go to Iquitos, gateway to the Peruvian Amazon.
Meanwhile we’ll just have to relish in our sweet memories of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley and Northern Peru.
Related Posts:
- Visiting Peru’s Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas
- Must-See Attractions to Visit in and Around Cusco, Peru
- Discovering Northern Peru